The present invention relates generally to electric guitars. In particular, the present invention relates to a locking system for a floating bridge on an electric guitar.
Electric guitars usually include a body, a neck, and a head, with strings extending from tuning posts connected to the head down to a bridge which is attached to the body of the guitar. Electric guitars are often made or retrofitted with mechanisms for changing the tension on one or more of the strings so as to vary the pitch. One mechanism used for varying the pitch is often referred to as a tremolo, or a floating bridge. The use of such a mechanism changes the tension on all of the strings together, resulting in a vibrato or tremolo effect. This is a result of reducing the tension or increasing the tension on the strings in what is known as a xe2x80x9cchokingxe2x80x9d effect, or xe2x80x9cnote bendingxe2x80x9d and/or xe2x80x9cdetuningxe2x80x9d.
Because of varying tensions on the strings caused by the use of the tremolo, the strings may slip with respect to the tuning posts, with the result being that one or more of the strings will go out of tune. To prevent the strings from going out of tune, an electric guitar with a floating bridge may incorporate a string locking device between the neck and the head. The string lock mechanism is a clamp used to clamp the strings in a fixed position after the guitar has been tuned. Tuning knobs are initially adjusted on the head to tune the guitar, and then the string lock is secured and the guitar may be played and the vibrato used without causing the strings to go out of tune. As a result of engaging the string lock, the tuning knob for each string is made become unavailable for use to adjust the pitch of its respective strings.
Ordinary use during the course of playing may cause strings to go out of tune due to various factors. As a result of this, many guitars include a method for tuning the guitar while the string lock is engaged. Such mechanisms are fine tuning mechanisms usually located on the bridge of the guitar, and serve to keep the guitar in tune unless a string breaks. A broken string may require the re-tuning of all the strings, since the tension on the other strings will change when the load born by a tremolo bridge""s counter springs is compensated by the remaining strings (which is one less string than before the break). Replacing the broken string requires removal of the string locking device and re-tuning the instrument. Such an operation is time consuming. One way to reduce the amount of the time needed for re-tuning is to incorporate a bridge lock on the instrument to hold the bridge in place while replacing a broken string.
When a musician plays a guitar with a tremolo, a song often contains sections that do and do not require the use of the tremolo. Absent a locking mechanism, the tremolo is always active on the guitar when playing such a song. Players must be careful when playing an instrument with the tremolo engaged as any pressure on the bridge of the guitar will result in the strings being tensioned or loosened, resulting in a change in the pitch for those strings.
One solution to this problem is to employ a system whereby the player can somehow lock the floating tremolo bridge from movement relative to the guitar body. Locking the tremolo bridge prevents accidental motion of the tremolo bridge and provides a steadier tone when the strings are plucked, since there is no movement of the tremolo bridge. While tremolo locking systems are known, none provide a non-unintrusive, simple to mount and simple to manipulate locking system. Known locking systems may employ pivotal or rotation engagement of a locking device, which can be awkward for a musician to manipulate while simultaneously playing the guitar. In addition, many known locking systems may require more extensive modification of the guitar body than desired, and a resultant rather complicated installation procedure.
In one embodiment, the present invention is a locking device for selectively preventing pivotal movement of a tremolo base plate toward and away from a guitar body. The tremolo base plate is of the type that is disposed under one end of a plurality of longitudinally extending guitar strings and has a laterally extending rear edge. The locking device comprises a slide plate attached to the guitar body adjacent the rear edge of the tremolo base plate, and a lock support slideably mounted on the slide plate. The lock support is moveable longitudinally on the slide plate between a first position spaced from the rear edge of the tremolo base plate and a second position engaged with the rear edge of the tremolo base plate. When the lock support is in its second position, the tremolo base plate is prevented from pivotal movement toward and away from the guitar body.
In one embodiment, the present invention is an improvement in a guitar of the type having a tremolo base plate mounted to a guitar body of the guitar for pivotal movement toward and away from the guitar body in order to produce tremolo sounds and a locking device for selectively preventing such pivotal movement. The improvement comprises a locking device having a lower portion and an upper portion, with the lower portion being fixedly attached relative to a top surface of the guitar body rearwardly from the tremolo base plate, and the upper portion being mounted on the lower portion for slideable longitudinal movement relative to the lower portion between a first disengaged position spaced from the tremolo base plate and a second engaged position contacting the tremolo base plate.
In one embodiment, the present invention is a method for selectively immobilizing a tremolo base plate from pivotal movement toward or away from a stringed instrument. The inventive method comprises: providing a slide plate affixed to the body of a stringed instrument, with a lock support slidably mounted on the slide plate, wherein the lock support has a tremolo plate engagement member moveably mounted thereon; selecting a locked position of the engagement member relative to the lock support; fixing the engagement member in the locked position; and longitudinally sliding the lock support along the slide plate until the engaging member contacts the tremolo base plate to fix it in position relative to the body of the stringed instrument.